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Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas
More than 11 lakh LPG cylinders distributed in Maharashtra to Ujjwala beneficiaries
Mumbai, April 26, 2020
In Maharashtra, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. along with other Oil Marketing Companies  have distributed more than 11 Lakh free LPG cylinders so far to the Ujjwala  beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana .
The OMCs through their LPG distributors are reaching out to beneficiaries to ensure that they avail the benefit of free LPG cylinder being distributed during the month of April, May and June 2020.
OMCs have transferred advance for free refill to the bank accounts of 39.84 Lakh  PMUY beneficiaries in Maharashtra. Out of these, IndianOil alone has transferred advance to 9.78 Lakh  PMUY customers.
In the state, for the month of April, booking of 13 lakh refills have been done by PMUY beneficiaries till date, out of which about 11 Lakh cylinders have been delivered.
While the nation is under a lockdown to fight the COVID-19 crisis, a scheme to provide relief to PMUY beneficiaries has been implemented under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana in association with Indian Oil and other oil marketing companies. This is part of the Centre’s Rs 1.72 lakh crore relief package for the poor announced by the Union Finance Minister Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman on March 26th.
Under this scheme, PMUY beneficiaries are being provided three 14.2-kg LPG refills or eight 5-kg refills free of cost from April to June 2020.
“After booking my Indane LPG refill, the corresponding amount was deposited directly in my bank account by Indian Oil. Today, Indane LPG delivery boy has delivered the refill to my home. I thank Indian Oil and our Prime Minister for this thoughtful gesture,” says Jayashri Domble, a PMUY beneficiary from Yavatmal district in Maharashtra.
There are 2.76 Crore LPG consumers in Maharashtra, with the PMUY beneficiaries accounting for over 44 Lakhs.
For more details contact: Anjali Bhave, GM, Corporate Communications, IndianOil, Mumbai
Ministry of Science & Technology
Renewed MoUs articulate new strategic direction for Indo-Canada S&T co-operation
Two MoUs were renewed at the 7th India-Canada Joint Science and Technology Cooperation Committee  meeting that took place in Ottawa, setting priorities for the next period in a variety of innovative fields.
The MoUs had been signed by the Ministry of Science and Technology with Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada  and National Research Council Canada , respectively, under India and Canada's agreement signed in 2005.
The Joint Committee Meeting was co-chaired by Dr. Srivari Chandrasekhar, Secretary at the Indian Department of Science and Technology , and David Morrison, Deputy Minister of International Trade at Global Affairs Canada.
Dr. Chandrasekhar, Secretary, DST, elaborated on the focus areas of the collaboration between the two countries like the National Missions, quantum computing, AI, cyber-physical systems, and so on. He also pointed out that a large number of Indian students are studying in Canadian Universities and the renewal of the MoUs would help intensify exchange of ideas and expertise between the two countries.
High Commissioner of India to Canada, Ajay Bisaria, and Canadian High Commissioner to India, Cameron MacKay, also participated in the event. Other attendees included representatives from several ministries and research institutions from both countries.
India and Canada benefit from strong bilateral relations and are committed to deepening ties, with Science, Technology and Innovation being key pillars of the relationship.
The meeting provided an opportunity to articulate a renewed strategic direction for the implementation of the 2005 Agreement for Scientific and Technological Cooperation between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of Canada.
Under the terms of the Agreement, the Joint Science and Technology Cooperation Committee, in principle, meets every 2 years to review ongoing collaboration between Canadian and Indian researchers and innovators and set priorities for the next period in a variety of innovative fields such as agriculture and food security, health sciences and related technologies, clean technologies and environmental research, marine and polar research, quantum and artificial intelligence and human capacity development and researcher mobility.
Both countries agreed to continue monitoring progress on key priorities on bilateral Science, Technology, and Innovation  collaboration for 2022-2024.
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Ministry of Agriculture &
Farmers Welfare
Shri Narendra Singh Tomar meets German Food & Agriculture Minister, Ms. Julia Klockner in New Delhi
Ministers sign a Joint Declaration of Intent on cooperation in agriculture market development
Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare met Ms. Julia Klockner, German Minister of Food & Agriculture in New Delhi, today. The Ministers signed a Joint Declaration of Intent between India & Germany on cooperation in agriculture market development. During the meeting, Shri Tomar said that India’s priority has shifted from production centric to farmer centric, and the goal of doubling farmers’ income by 2022 by improving productivity, lowering input cost, creating competitive markets and strengthening the value chain for agriculture and allied sectors. The Minister also mentioned that the Agriculture Export Policy 2018 targets doubling of agriculture exports to US $60 billion by 2022. Ms. Julia Klockner said that Germany has expertise in Mechanization and Post harvest Management and added that she thinks this shall play a major role in achieving doubling farmers’ income. The German Minister also impressed upon continuing the discussions of Working Group started in 2008 on the issues like Food Safety, Consumer protection and hoped that topics discussed are implemented.
Both the Ministers affirmed that Agriculture is a priority for both Germany and India for fulfillment of ‘Sustainable Development Goal 2- End Hunger and Doubling Agricultural Productivity’, which is especially important since it will also impact the achievement of the other 16 SDGs. The Ministers also discussed the areas of cooperation like Mechanization, Post Harvest management, Supply chain, market access and Export issues. Stressing upon the importance and priority given to food safety and consumer protection the Ministers discussed upon further cooperation in the field such as support in setting up labs, conducting food testing workshops etc. India also placed a list of agricultural products being imported by Germany from other countries, which could be imported from India.
Both Ministers also expressed happiness on signing of MoU between National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management  and the German Agriculture Academy – DEULA-Nienburg, on 30th October, 2019 for technical and professional training of employees in the agricultural sector.
Ministry of Science & Technology
Best practices & policy models of G20 nations for sustainable energy transition discussed at G20 Research Innovation & Initiative Gathering Conference
Experts deliberated on best practices and policy models of G20 nations for sustainable energy transition at the G20 Research Innovation and Initiative Gathering  Conference on Eco-Innovations for Energy Transition organised at Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh.
“We are at a pivotal moment in our existence where we must prioritize transitioning away from fossil fuel consumption. The potential for harnessing renewable energies is great enough to meet our requirements, but capturing, converting and storing them on a large scale requires a monumental effort which can be accomplished by working together,” said Dr. S Chandrasekhar, Secretary DST, and Chair G20-RIIG in his opening remarks at the conference.
The conference, which concluded on 19th April 2023, brought together a total of 29 foreign delegates and 30 Indian experts and invitees from various scientific departments/ organisations of Govt of India.
Amb D P Srivastava, Distinguished Fellow, Vivekanand International Foundation, spoke on India’s Energy Transition in a carbon-constrained world.
The G20 countries and International Organisations which participated in the conference are Indonesia, Turkiye, the United States of America, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, UAE, United Kingdom, Netherlands, France, Netherlands, Republic of Korea, Russia, United Kingdom, Spain, European Union and International Solar Alliance .
Topics like smart energy transformation, storage, and management; mission-driven research in sustainable energy transitions; policy frameworks for research and innovation in carbon-neutral energy sources and green hydrogen were deliberated on, and cooperation among G20 members on specific thematic areas was discussed during the meeting.
The Research Innovation Initiative Gathering  is a new initiative of G20 Forum, which was initiated during the Indonesian Presidency in 2022.
The next RIIG meeting will be held in Diu on the topic scientific challenges and opportunities for a sustainable blue economy. The RIIG Meetings will conclude with the RIIG Summit and Research Ministers meeting in Mumbai on 5th July 2023, and a joint declaration will be adopted by G20 members.
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Ministry of Defence
MoD to hold two-day ‘Chintan Shivir’ to discuss challenges faced by its departments & evolve new ideas for better governance
Ministry of Defence  is organising brainstorming sessions ‘Chintan Shivir’ in New Delhi on June 19 & 20, 2023 to discuss various issues & challenges faced by its departments, with the aim to come out with new ideas for better governance & functioning. Department of Defence , Department of Defence Production , Department of Military Affairs  and Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare  have identified a number of themes, on which eminent subject matter experts will share their views with the officers of the Ministry.
Department of Defence
The DoD will deliberate on the following topics:
- Comprehensive approach to national security
- Cyber security challenges
- National Information Security Policy and Guidelines
- Performance Audit
- Sainik School education system
- Capacity Building in Defence Acquisitions
Department of Defence Production
The DDP will have discussions on the following themes:
- Enhancing production & defence exports
- Increasing Aatmanirbharta: Road ahead for indigenisation
- Industrial Ecosystem and Skilled Workforce
- Enhancing Level Playing Field
- Quality Reforms
Department of Military Affairs
The topics chosen by the DMA will cover critical issues of Integrating and optimising Human Resource aspects, Training and Operational issues towards achieving greater synergy and modernisation & capability augmentation of Armed Forces in the realms of strategic domain. It will also include discussions on measures to identify and abolish colonial practices and obsolete laws and further incorporate the country’s own ethos and practices in functioning of the Armed Forces.
Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare
The themes identified by DESW include:
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Leveraging SPARSH for better pension services and other welfare measures for veterans
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Resettlement of veterans by improving employability and promotion of entrepreneurship for start of micro enterprises by veterans
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Improvement in the health services of the veterans
The Chintan Shivir will conclude with an open-house session for inviting ideas & suggestions for enhancing organisational efficiency in various departments. The event is being organised in line with the Government’s directions to have a real time audit of the objectives achieved till date and carve a way forward towards achieving the desired goals in realistic timelines.
Ministry of Development of North-East Region
UNION MINISTER SHRI G. KISHAN REDDY VIRTUALLY INTERACTED WITH THE WINNERS OF ‘WITH LOVE FROM NORTH EAST’ PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEOGRAPHY CONTEST’.
Commemorating 75 years of India’s Independence, Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region has been carrying out various communication based campaigns on the occasion of Azadi Ki Amrit Mahotsav. Recently, ‘With Love from North East’ Photography & Videography Contest was organized on the social media channels of MDoNER. The campaign started on 27th December 2021 & closed on 27th January 2022.
The winners of the contest was declared on Match 1st 2022.-
They are:-
- Ms. Basundhara Paul Choudhury, Assam-Rank 1st
- Mr. VaibhavGarg, Uttar Pradesh-Rank 2nd
- NangiakaraSwer, 25, Meghalaya-Rank 3rd
- Mr. Souvik Mandal, Assam-Rank 4th
- Mr. Sanjay Sarkar, West Bengal, Rank 5th
Union Minister Shri G. Kishan Reddy interacted with the winners of the contest on 2nd March, 2022 & congratulated them on their victory. Shri Reddy also urged them to participate actively in such contests in future & be the flag-bearers of development in North Eastern Region.
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Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs
India and France sign an implementation agreement on “MOBILISE YOUR CITY” 
European Union agrees to Euro 3.5 million for investments and technical assistance within the Mobilise Your City  programme in India.
MYC aims at supporting three pilot cities viz. Nagpur, Kochi and Ahmedabad for reduction of Green House Gas  emissions related to urban transport.
India and France have signed an implementation agreement on “MOBILISE YOUR CITY”  here last evening in the presence of Minister of State , Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs  Shri Hardeep Singh Puri and Shri Alexander Ziegler, Ambassador of France in India. The agreement was signed by Shri Mukund Kumar Sinha, OSD & Ex-Officio Joint Secretary, M/o Housing and Urban Affairs for India while Regional Director, Agence Française de Développement , Shri Nicolas Fornage, signed the agreement on behalf of AfD.
Mobilise Your City  is part of an international initiative which is supported by the French and the German Governments and was launched at 21st Conference of Parties  meeting in December, 2015. Based on a proposal made by AFD in 2015, the European Union has agreed to provide funds of Euro 3.5 million through the AFD to contribute to specific investments and technical assistance components within the Mobilise Your City  programme in India.
The MYC aims at supporting three pilot cities viz. Nagpur, Kochi and Ahmedabad in their efforts to reduce their Green House Gas  emissions related to urban transport by implementing urban mobility plans at local level and to help India at national level to improve their sustainable transport policy.
The three pilot cities selected under the programme as well as MoHUA will benefit from the Technical Assistance activities. The main components of the proposed assistance are:
 to support planning and implementation of sustainable urban transport projects,
 support to strengthening institutional capacity for regulating, steering and planning urban mobility, and
 learning and exchange formats with other cities across India for exchanges on best practices.
The details of the project activities will be worked out by AFD in consultation with MoHUA and the three partner cities including institutions such as the respective Special Purpose Vehicles  for Smart Cities, the Municipal Corporations and any transport authority or transport related SPV.
Ministry of Minority Affairs
Ministry of Minority Affairs releasesInfographics highlighting the initiatives and achievements of the over the last six years
The Ministry of Minority Affairs has released a set of 5 infographics each in Hindi and English to highlight the initiatives and achievements of the Ministry over the last six years.Ideally suited for social media platforms, these are portrayed under five broad topics/subjects covering almost all the schemes undertaken for the welfare of the minorities in the country. These are:
- Skill Development, Employment & Employment opportunities;
- Hunar Haat---Opportunities for artisans, chefs etc with special focus on Women empowerment;
- Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram --- focusing on socio-economic-educational and employment oriented infrastructure across the country in minority concentrated areas;
- Educational Empowerment; and
- Utilisation of Waqf properties----Geo tagging and Digitisation of Waqf properties across the country ensuring utilization of Waqf properties for welfare of the society.
The Infographics are custom-designed to convey the message through pictorials, photographs and text for easy understanding.
Prime Minister's Office
PM arrives in Berlin for Fourth India-Germany Intergovernmental Consultations
PM arrives in Berlin for Fourth India-Germany Intergovernmental Consultations
(The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, arrived in Berlin on Monday for the fourth India-Germany Intergovernmental Consultations. This is Prime Minister Modi's second bilateral visit to Germany.
Chancellor Angela Merkel hosted an informal dinner for Prime Minister Modi at the Schloss Meseberg, outside Berlin. The interaction lasted nearly three hours, and covered various areas of mutual interest including smart cities, skill development, clean energy etc. There was appreciation for India's economic reform agenda, including GST.
The leaders reviewed regional and global issues. Prime Minister Modi reiterated the importance of cohesiveness in the European Union, and its significance as a force of stability in the world.
On Afghanistan, both leaders reiterated the importance of an Afghan-led Afghan-owned reconciliation process. Issues such as deradicalization and terrorism figured in the discussions. China's belt and road initiative, and climate change, also figured in the discussions.
Earlier, on arrival at the Schloss Meseberg, Prime Minister Modi signed the visitor's book. The two leaders took a stroll on the lawns of the country residence.
Ministry of Defence
INDIAN NAVY PAYS TRIBUTE TO LATE ADMIRAL RONALD LYNSDALE PEREIRA PVSM, AVSM : CENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONS AT BENGALURU 25 -27 MAY 23
The centennial birthday celebrations of Late Admiral Ronald Lynsdale Pereira, PVSM, AVSM  were held at Bengaluru from 25 - 27 May 23. A large number of Armed Forces personnel and distinguished veterans, including former Chiefs of the Naval Staff, gathered to honour the memory of the ninth Chief of the Naval Staff, a revered figure in India’s modern naval history. As a part of the celebrations, a Leadership Seminar was organised on 27 May 2023 at Bengaluru, wherein Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chief of the Naval Staff delivered the Keynote Address.
The seminar stimulated the audience with topics such as ‘Eternal Leadership Lessons from Life and times of Ronnie Pereira’, ‘Adapting to Evolving Digital Landscape - Leadership Perspectives’, and ‘Galaxy of Naval Leaders and their Contribution to Growth and Development of Indian Navy’. The seminar also included a Panel Discussion on ‘Ronnie Walked the Talk: The Essence of his Leadership by Self-example for Tomorrow's Leaders’.
Several eminent speakers recalled Admiral Pereira's remarkable career in the Indian Navy spanning four decades , that left an indelible mark on the future of Indian Navy. Known for his integrity, courage and commitment to technological self-reliance, Admiral Pereira played a vital role in shaping the modern Indian Navy. As Deputy Commandant of the National Defence Academy and Chairman COSC, his vision, commitment and ethics influenced officers from all the three Services.
Earlier in the week, a wreath laying ceremony was undertaken by Rear Admiral KM Ramakrishnan, Flag Officer Commanding Karnataka Naval Area alongwith serving and veteran Armed Forces personnel at Admiral Pereira’s resting place in Bengaluru.
The Navy Foundation Bengaluru Chapter, an organisation of retired naval officers, also participated in the centennial commemorative events. Admiral RL Pereira, who settled in Bengaluru after retirement, had worked tirelessly for the cause of ex-servicemen until his passing on 14 October 1993.
The large number of serving and retired Armed Forces personnel gathering for the event is a testament to Admiral Pereira's enduring legacy, which continues to inspire current and future generations. Both serving senior leadership and distinguished veterans called upon all to follow Admiral Pereira's example of leadership, integrity and moral courage.
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Ministry of Culture
Ministry of Culture is running a fellowship scheme to promote cultural research in different fields of culture-Culture Minister
The Ministry of Culture is implementing the Scheme for Award of Senior / Junior Fellowships to Outstanding Persons for cultural research in different fields of Culture. Junior/Senior Fellowships are awarded to outstanding persons in the age group of 25 to 40 years  and above 40 years  in different cultural fields for the period of 2 years for cultural research in different cultural fields.
The Senior / Junior Fellowships are open to all and there is no specific quota for females.
The categories mentioned in ‘New Areas’ in Scheme guidelines are expansive in nature and diversely cover different subjects related to culture. The research proposals that are innovative and application oriented, preferably inter-disciplinary in nature, are considered as per the Scheme guidelines.
This information was given by the Minister of State  of Culture and Tourism, Shri Prahlad Singh Patel in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
COVID-19 Vaccination Update
More than 33.63 Crore vaccine doses provided by Government of India to States/UTs
More than 44 lakh doses in the pipeline
The Union Government is committed to accelerating the pace and expanding the scope of COVID-19 vaccination throughout the country. The new phase of universalization of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from 21st June 2021. The vaccination drive has been ramped up through availability of more vaccines, advance visibility of vaccine availability to States and UTs for enabling better planning by them, and streamlining the vaccine supply chain.
As part of the nationwide vaccination drive, Government of India has been supporting the States and UTs by providing them COVID Vaccines free of cost. In the new phase of the universalisation of the COVID19 vaccination drive, the Union Government will procure and supply  75% of the vaccines being produced by the vaccine manufacturers in the country to States and UTs.
More than 33.63 crore  vaccine doses have been provided by Government of India to States/UTs so far, through Government of India  and through direct state procurement category.
Of this, the total consumption, including wastages is 33,73,22,514 doses .
Furthermore, 44,90,000 vaccine doses are in the pipeline and will be received by the States/UTs within the next 3 days.